Liquid heating apparatus



July 4, 1950 TULLY ETAL 2,513,435

LIQUID HEATING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS:

Edward Ernest Tully Richard Gleave Norris g fkwwd.

Attorney July 4, 1950 E. E. TULLY ET AL LIQUID HEATING APPARATUS Filed June 18 1948 3 She ets-Sheet 2 Their Agent y 1950 E. E. TULLY ET AL 2,513,435

LIQUID HEATING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //VV. N70/QS E. E. Tully gyR. Cr. "0:11 18 Their Agent Patented July 21, 1950 LIQUID HEATING APPARATUS Edward Ernest Tully, Bebington, and Richard Gleave Norris, Huyton,.near Liverpool, England, assignors to Hotentotlndustries Limited, Liverpool, England, a British company Application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,874 In Great Britain July 11, 1947 6 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid heating apparatus.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved liquid and heating medium control means for liquid heating apparatus.

Another object is to provide an efficient, robust, compact, yet easily and relatively cheaply constructed electrically operated water heater of the kind comprising at least one tubular member housing an electric heating element of the immersion type spaced 2. small distance from the interior wall of said tubular member or members, and wherein water to be heated enters at one end of the tubular member and flows to an outlet at the other end of said member via the space between the heating element and the interior wall of the tubular member, the water flowing through the heate in the form of a relatively thin film so that it is very rapidly and economically heated to produce very hot or boiling water at the outlet.

A further object is to provide simple means ensuring the optional flow or hot water at at least two difierent temperatures, such as water at boiling point and at a somewhat lower temperature. It is also desirable to interlink the water control means and the switch control for the heating medium so as to avoid the consequential damage arising from the heating means being turned on when the water supply is cut off.

According to the present invention the operating members of a liquid control valve and a heating medium control of a liquid heating apparatus are enclosed within a movable cover member for the apparatus which cover member carries means for engaging the controls whereby movement of the cover member effects operation of the controls.

Further by the present invention the engaging means on the movable cover are so:formed that actuation of the heating medium control to energise the heat supply, is accompanied by opening of the liquid control valve, thereby avoiding heating when the water supply through the heater is turned off.

Conveniently the inlet to and outlet from the tubular member are arranged adjacent one another and are connected at the top of the apparatus to a distribution header which carries a liquid control valve and an electric switch for controlling the supply of electricity to the apparatus whilst the cover for the operating members at least of the valve and switch is rotatably supported on the header and is formed with or carries cam or the likemeans on its under face adapted to operate the valve and switch as the cover is rotated. Preferably the cam on the cover controlling the liquid supply is arranged to have two or more. operative positions which give diiierent degrees of opening of the liquid control valve andthus provide liquid at at least two different temperatures as desired.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate. a specific embodiment of the invention as applied to an electrically operated hot Water heater for domestic and like purposes and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a domestic heater and showing the control valve in its closed position.

Figure 2 is a plan view with the cover for the operating members in position and showing in dotted lines the position of the operating members consistent with closure of the valve and breaking of the electric circuit.

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 1, but with the cover and the operating mem bers removed.

Figure 4 is Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on the lines V-'-V of Figure 1, but with the valve in its open position.

Figure 6 is a plan view showing the relative positions of the operating members consistent with one open position of the valve and closure of the corresponding contacts of the electric circuits.

In the construction illustrated, the heater comprises an outer casing I0 of cylindrical form and closed at its lower end by a dished closure plate II and at its upper end or top by a cast metal one-piece distribution header l2. Depending from the header by the extremities of their limbs are pairs of tubular members l3, M, the two limbs of each pair being respectively connected together at their lower ends by small return-flow caps [5, I6. Each pair of tubular members houses an electric heating element ll of the immersion type and of U-shaped form. The two ends of each element I! pass up through glands I8 in the top distribution header and are adapted for connection to the electricity supply and the control switch to be hereinafter described.

The upper distribution header [2 has an adaptor for the reception of a screwed inlet connection [9 which is adapted fo connection to the water supply at 20 and has a needle type restrictor valve 2| to compensate for varying pressures of water supply. This connection forms part of a bracket a section on the lines IVIV of causes this to gradually-c;

3 22 by which the heater at its upper end is mounted on a wall or other support, a second bracket at 23 forming a support at the lower end. The water inlet l9 communicates via a water control valve 24 embodied in the header, with transverse inlet passageways 25, 26 in the header the ends of which communicate respectively with the inlet ends of the two pairs of tubular members I3, l4. The distribution header also has transverse outlet passageways 21, 28, the ends of which communicate respectively with the outlet ends of the two pairs of tubular members 13,. l4. The outlet passageways 21, 28 are also'connected to a discharge pipe 29 for the heated water,- thie pipe passing down the centre of the casing and having an outlet union 30 at its lower end which also serves to secure it to the lower dished closure plate I I and to an outlet pipe 3 l.

The Water control valve 24 is of the plunger type, having an integral plunger or operating stem 32 which 'projec-ts through a resilient gland '33 which is retained on the stem by a washer 36. The valve is normally urged upwardly, to bring a washer 34 against a seating 35 to close the valve, by meansof the water pressure in the inlet connection IEI. The lower endof the valve 24 immediately above the washer 34 has a groove 31, of gradually increasing section in a direction away from the washer, formed therein so as to vary the cross sectional area of the valve port with longitudinal displacement of the spindle 32'.

Turning to the electric control for the heating elements H, the mains supply terminals" feeding through a supply line which enters the heater through an opening 15 are indicated at 40, 4!, the former being at the base of a conductor 42 which passes upwardly through the header casting 12 and an insulator 43. The upper end of thecondu'etor 42- has secured thereto a metallic stripe-4 carrying at its ends-a pair of roller contacts 45, 46. A cooperating pair of contacts 41-, 48 interconnected by'a bus bar 38 are respectively mounted at the endsof bus bars 49}, 50 which in turn are connected to terminals Si, 52 on one limb of each of the U-shaped heater elements I! and are supported on insulators 53 at the upper ends of saidelements. The other mains terminal 4! is-on an arcuate busbar 54 the ends of which are connected with terminals- 5'5, 56, on the ends of the other limbs or the -U-"sh-'aped heater elements I 1 I Itwill thus be seen that order to heat the elements ll all that is necessary is to connect either the contacts 415 and 41 or the contacts 46 '8 of the eieetriccontroi mechanism.

T e operating pl ur'iger 3? of the water control 'va e 4 an actuating mechanismof theelectric sit-itch are encles'ed withi-na regulating cover 6G rotate/lily moun-ted on a centrally iocated stem or bossii! projecting tip fromthe distribution heads i 2 -Thisregulating cover is preferably a plastic moulding, its di arneter being substantially the" same as that of the header i2 on which it rotates cylindrical outer easing l o-f'th'e heater, so that the whole appearance is pleasing and compact-from topt'o' bottom.

'I-he 'under' f aeeof the top of the regulating cover isformed ramp raised segments 62, 63, respectively which are" so arranged that as the cover 60 is rotated in one (ii-readers the underfa'eebe am down on: thevaive plunger 32 and the water control valve and then to maintaimtimartopempositioii, whilst ramp and raised surfaces; 64-, e5; which re spectively have a different'incline and total raise 4 as compared with the ramp 62 and raised segment 63, function similarly but to a different degree when the cover is rotated in the opposite direction.

The control switch for bridging the contacts 45 and 41 or 46 and 48 consists of a blade e6 which is pivotally mounted at $1 to the cover 6!! and has a curved or nose portion 68 at one end and a recessed portion 69 at the other. A pin Hi screw threaded into the cover is located in the recess of the bladeand it will be seen that by virtue of the" clearance between the pin and the wall of the recessQtheiblade operates with a limited amount or 10st motion and is slightly angularly displaced aboutits own pivot when overriding a contact 45 or 46 whereupon it bridges the appropriate contact 45 or 46 and its cooperating contact with a snap action to establish the electric circuit.

It will be appreciated that the combined arrangement of valve and switch is such that the blade 66 does not bridge the contacts and 41 or 46 and 48 until after the plunger 32 has been depressedtoopen' the valve 24.

It will also be appreciated that more than one pair of contacts may be provided on opposite sidesof the mid position of the blade to ensure that the heater may be used with different voltages of electric supply;

The rotatable regulating cover 60 is held on its supporting boss or stem Si by a nut H having a fine thread and a milled periphery, which nut is screwed on to athreaded and narrow upper end of the boss or stem of the header, and is locked position thereon by a screw 12, which operates to expand slightly the upper end of the boss in accordance with its degree of insertion therein. By loosening or tightening the nut 1| a degree of slaclness is introduced into the mounting of the cover 60 which varies the height of the segmental raised underfaces 63, 65' of the cover with respect to the top of the valve plunger 32, thus determining and varying the volume of water which passes through the heating system, and thereby provid' "g' easy means of adjustment to suit the varying pressures-and voltages obtained on public servi'c'esl pointer T3 is formed on the external periphery of the'cove'r 68 whilst azero and'other marks are formed on the casing. 16' in the region of the top thereof to indicate to the user the inoperative position of the cover and the direction and extent or angular displacement which is required in or dertoachieve the desired-opening of the valve 24'.

The heater operates as follows:

When-the heateris inoperative the position of the regulating cover 66 and its canielements 62, 63,- 64-,!65" is suchthat the restrictor valve 24 is closed and the switch contacts 45, 41 and 46, 48 are open. If,.. say, boiling water is required the regulatingeoverfifl is given a" partial turn in, say,

ahti' c'lockwise' direction. This immediately opens thewater controlva1ve'24 and then closes the switch contacts 46; 4'8 andwater flows" down the limbof one tubular member of each pair l3, I4 and up the other limb in the direction of the arrowsshov'vn in Figures 1, 3- and' 5. In its flow through the tubular'members the water is raised to'boilin'g point-bythe heater elements H and is discharged via the discharge pipe 3!. If not water of a lower temperature than boiling is redu'ired the regulating cover is turned in the 0ppo'site direction by'a' predetermined amount and this" closes the switch' cbntacts- 45, 41 and opens the: flow restrictdr'valve' 24 but to a greater eX- terit tli'a'ri wliezi the cover-'60 is setfor' boiling-was ter so that there is a greater flow rate through the tubular members l3, l4, and water at a correspondingly lower temperature is delivered by the discharge pipe 3|.

At a loading of 3,000 watts it has been found that a heater according to the present invention can convert water at 52 F. to water at 212 F., i. e. a range of 160 F., in approximately 25 seconds and then can continuously deliver boiling water at 212 F. at the rate of 1 pint per 75 seconds.

It will be appreciated that with the present invention the cover itself constitutes the control for the water and heat supply and that no other operating mechanism is necessary for this purpose. If desired where there is more than one heating element the cover regulator may be arranged to operate a multiple switching arrangement to give water at difierent temperatures instead of or in addition to the adjustable water control system, and the motion may be in one direction instead of clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Whilst the invention has been described more particularly as applied to an electrically operated liquid heating apparatus it may also be applied to heaters wherein gas or oil burners constitute the heating medium.

Preferably all parts of the apparatus are made of non-corrosive metal or other material.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

1. Liquid heating apparatus comprising a casing, a distribution header located in said casing and having a surface constituting a valve seat, at least one tubular member suspended from said header with both its inlet and its outlet located therein, a valve located in said header and displaceable bodily into and out of engagement with said seat for controlling the rate of liquid flow to and through said tubular member, at least one electric heater element in said tubular member, stationary elements of a switch of an electric circuit for said heater element which are supported on said header, and a dished cover of substantially the same cross sectional area as that of the casing and the header for shrouding the header and said stationary switch elements, which cover on manual rotation relatively to said casing and header being adapted both to operate said switch and to displace said valve.

2. Liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the casing has an inlet for a liquid supply in the region of the distribution header and the header is concentric with both the casing and the cover and is bored to form both the inlet duct between said casing inlet and said tubular member and the outlet duct from said member.

3. Liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and including ramp and raised segments on the under face of said cover member and a plunger associated with said valve and engaged by said ramp and raised segments on rotation of the cover member for longitudinal displacement in opening the valve.

4. Liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a blade carried by said cover internally thereof and resiliently loaded roller contact switch elements in the electric circuit for the heater element, said blade in establishing the electric circuit having a lost motion and pivotal connection with the cover so as to enable it to complete the circuit with a snap action.

5. Liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a dished cover which is rotatable in opposite directions for variably opening the valve so as to vary the volume of liquid passing through the header and thus the temperature of liquid delivered from the tubular member.

6. Liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and including a central stem mounted on the distribution header about which stem the cover member is mounted for rotation, means being provided to adjust the cover member on said stem to vary the degree of opening of the valve independently of cover displacement.

EDWARD ERNEST TULLY. RICHARD GLEAVE NORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 891,455 Bennett June 23, 1908 1,221,106 Stranszky Apr. 3, 1917 1,357,287 Hart Nov. 2, 1920 1,569,485 Hanson Jan. 12, 1926 2,347,122 Peet Apr. 18, 1944 

